In the prior art, DE 103 06 794 B4 discloses a method and a control system for controlling a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with cylinder deactivation. The internal combustion engine operates on the basis of a four-stroke cycle and is implemented with ignition time control and fuel injection, wherein at least one deactivatable cylinder and one cylinder that remains active are provided, wherein each cylinder has a piston, an outlet valve and at least one inlet valve, and in each case one camshaft-driven control element for the inlet and outlet valves, and a throttle-flap-controlled air induction system is provided for the cylinders. In the event of a transition from a first operating mode, in which both cylinders are active, into a second operating mode, in which the deactivatable cylinder is deactivated, the following steps are performed: the closing and the opening of the inlet valve for the deactivatable cylinder are retarded such that, during the transition, the opening and closing are approximately equally spaced from a top dead centre position of the piston in order to minimize friction and pumping losses; the throttle flap is opened further in order to increase the torque of the cylinder that remains active; the camshaft drive for the cylinder that remains active is advanced in order that, during the transition, the torque for the cylinder that remains active is increased, while at the same time the camshaft drive and the ignition time for the deactivatable cylinder are retarded in order to reduce the torque for the deactivatable cylinder and to then deactivate the outlet valve, the fuel injection nozzle and the ignition spark for the deactivatable cylinder.